If a diploid organism has a genome consisting of 4 chromosomes, it can produce ____ different combinations of chromosomes through meiosis (disregarding crossing over).

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In a diploid organism, each chromosome has a homologous partner, making a total of 2 sets. During meiosis, each chromosome can segregate independently, leading to 2^n different combinations, where n is the number of chromosome pairs. For 4 chromosomes (2 pairs), this results in 2^2 = 4 combinations. However, since the organism has 4 chromosomes in total, it actually has 4 pairs, making the calculation 2^4 = 16 different combinations.

If a Diploid Organism Has a Genome Consisting of 4